Public safety advocates blast Brown over pardons

The pardons restore some important rights to drug sellers and even a convicted murderer.

Robert Phillip Brown served 15 years in prison before being released in 1996 and placed on parole for 33 months. Of the 65 receiving pardons, most were drug sellers or drug users.

All of them served their full time in prison and were then released at least 10 years ago. Brown's office said none of the convicted felons had broken any laws since that time.

But the families of crime victims and public safety advocates in Rancho Cordova on Saturday night for a summit on child safety, were upset to learn those pardoned can now purchase firearms in most cases, unless their conviction was for a felony involving the use of a dangerous weapon. They can also serve on a jury.

"Now we're pardoning murderers," said Lynne Brown.

Brown is the founder of Advocates for Public Safety. She told KCRA 3, "When does it stop, and when does justice for the victims take priority?"

The pardons are also troubling for Sandy Friend, whose 8-year-old son Michael Lyons was kidnapped and killed by a twice convicted sex offender in 1996 near Yuba City.

"This is a lifetime sentence for us. And I don't feel that they deserve a second chance," Friend said.

Katie Tempesta's mother, Lisa Gilvary, was stabbed to death last September in Fresno. Brown's pardons prompted her to give this message to the governor: "You need to think about the crime victims, because we're the ones suffering, not them."

By granting the 65 pardons just one day before Easter, Gov. Brown seems to be timing them around holidays. He also signed 79 pardons last Christmas Eve.

Brown has now issued nearly 200 pardons in just over two years in office. By contrast, his predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger pardoned just 16 felons in the seven years he was in office, while Gray Davis granted no pardons at all, during the five years he was governor.

KCRA 3 tried getting an explanation from Brown about his controversial pardons, but his office said no one was available for comment.

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